a

Spring is the best time of year to take a casual stroll along the crowded patch surrounding Lake Harriet. I enjoy watching the first sailboats appear in the marina, the activity, the glistening water, the gentle breeze of life restored to the same route frozen in icy desolation only weeks before. And on these walks I am often recognized by so many friendly faces. It seems like whether they are walking their dogs or casting their lines, everyone is anxious to chat. Oh, of course, it's weather, or baseball, or maybe a bit of politics. But, I know what they really want to hear - all roads seem to lead to the same thing. How many times have I heard it: "Mark, so tell me really, how did you get your start in technical writing."

Who am I to deprive them the tale. And, the several hundred who have asked now have the story in written form to relive over and over again.

It started in fourth grade. I had walked into the second day of typing class and sat before an enormous monitor. It sat on top of two floppy 5 1/4" disk drives, each slot guarded with a black lever. The screen was black aside from a curious green bar blinking in the upper left corner. I had plenty of experience with computers already, having mastering such intense programs as Number Munchers and Oregon Trail.

I remember placing my hands on the keyboard, typing slowly...asdf;lkj. asdf ;lkj. Soon, we had crossed into exiting territory. I was learning fast. I had discovered, in a functional way, how to type...fad, lad, ask dad, has sad dad had salad. I could imagine it already. Soon my fingers would fly as I learned the systematic method for transcribing words, sentences, paragraphs. Without even thinking I would soon dictate my thoughts lucidly in pristine, legible courier.

Then, it was time to learn capitals. Our instructor carefully described the method...

"Press the Shift key and then press the letter a."

Alright, easy enough. Now I would learn how I was to begin every sentence in my rich volumes. I did exactly as she said. I moved my pinky to the Shift key, pressed, and then typed a.

a

a

aaa

How could this be. I looked at the monitor next to mine...

A

How did she do that?

I tried it fast, slow, hard, soft, nothing seemed to work. I looked at the monitor to the other side...A. Oh no! Was there something wrong with my keyboard? Then, the teacher said it again...

"Press the Shift key and then press the letter a."

Once I tried it really fast and really hard, and I got it...A. YES! But, I could only get it about half the time. It seemed like the faster and harder I pressed Shift and then the "a" key, the more likely it was to be capital.

The lesson was over for the day and I stepped down off my chair and walked out of class. I had become frustrated and disappointed. How would the world see my genius now? With all lower case? Was I a "lower case" person after all? Something so simple to everyone else was just too embarrassing to mention. It laid heavy on my mind in the subsequent hours and through the weekend.

Half the sentences in my first assignments began in the lower case. My grades were not good.

Soon enough the seeds of a technical writing career were born. The next week a frustrated 10 year old boy pecked at the top of his next assignment...

"To type a letter in upper case, hold down the Shift key. Then, while holding down Shift, type the letter."

I can't be certain, but I like to imagine my unique typing style is a relic.